Record feeding device



March 15, 1938. I E, HOLZAPFEL 2,111,116

RECORD FEEDING DEVI CE Filed Sept. 22, 1936 Sheets$heet l as, 65 5 a2 a199 :0 6M 58 O 67 a5 ,0 88

PUM 66 Accou/vT 52 FIG .2. IL I--5-4 g INVENTOR March 15, 1938. E.HOLZAPFEL RECORD FEEDING DEVICE Filed Sept. 22, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2ZDQ March 15, 1938. E. 'HOLZAPFEL 2,111,116

RECORD FEEDING DEVICE Filed Sept. 22, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEYPatented Mar. 15, 1938 PATENT OFFICE RECORD FEEDING DEVICE EmilHolzapiel, Stuttgart, Germany, assignor to International BusinessMachines Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New YorkApplication September 22, 1936, Serial No. 101,908

In Germany November 5, 1935 13 Claims.

This invention relates generally to paper feeding devices and moreparticularly to the control of printing and feeding a ledger accountsheet in an automatic record controlled tabulator.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved means for insertinga posted ledger sheet to the correct printing position. Such a sheetreceives one or more lines of print and is removed from the machine;later, the sheet is reinserted and then it is necessary to place thesheet in position to receive a printing impression directly under thelast previously printed line. These ledger sheets or account cards areusually inserted to the desired position by ordinary manipulation of aplaten ieed roller with consequent inaccuracy and waste of time. Theusual inaccuracy of positioning is pronounced because these sheets areusually preprinted with regularly spaced lines for items. And the wasteof time for account sheet placement is particularly disadvantageous inan otherwise automatic tabulating machine. The present inventionprovides means insuring accurate and speedy placement of the sheets.

An object of the invention is to provide means a under control of theledger sheet for stopping the sheet in a correct posting position. Thereis provided a sheet punching or notching device which operatesautomatically as line after line of print is impressed on the sheet, tocut a successively deeper marginal shoulder on the sheet. When the sheetis reinserted, this marginal shoulder effects locking of the platen whenit is turned far enough to place the sheet in position to receive thenext item of print. The platen is locked or stopped by a magnetic brakewhich is actuated under control of contacts closed by the differentiallylocated shoulder cut in the sheet.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for automaticallyinitiating printing as soon as the ledger sheet reaches the correctprinting position. When the brake is applied to the platen, contacts areclosed to automatically start the tabulator.

A further. object of the invention is to provide meansfor automaticallyshifting the shoulder sensing devices away from the ledger sheet whenthe last item of the related account is printed thereon. This is done sothat the sheet may be ejected from the machine. In a tabulating machine,perforated record cards of a related account are provided with similargroup numbers which numbers are sensed and compared with. numbers onsuccessively fed cards so that a change in group numbers and accountsmay be amount $17.28.

detected. Such group control devices sense the appearance of the lastitem of a group and are connected to automatically shift the ledgerposting devices out of the path of the ledger sheet so that it may beremoved or automatically ejected.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will become apparent asthis specification continues with reference to the drawings which.accompany it and form part of the disclosure.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the'ledg er posting control devicescooperating with the right side of the platen.

Fig. 2 shows an example of the ledger sheet or account card which isspaced through and printed upon in the tabulator.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation view of the punching and sheet releasingdevices.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation view of the devices shown in Fig. 3. v

Fig. 5 is a side elevation view of the braking devices in the machine.

Fig. 6 shows a wiring diagram with the ledger posting controls connectedto the tabulator control wires.

In Fig. 2 there is shown a ledger sheet 5! which shows a single line ofprint representing the It is noted that the upper right hand corner ofthe sheet is cut out with a shoulder 52. This is a shoulder which is asingle step removed from the top of the sheet, indicating that only oneprinting operation has been performed on the sheet. As other printingimpressions are made onthe sheet, other squares 53, 54, etc. are cut outof the right margin to provide a differentially positioned shoulder tocontrol the feeding of the sheet when it is reinserted. A square is cutout for each line of print so that after seven lines of print areimpressed on the sheet, a shoulder is presented in the position 52a.

The record material may be in the form of a thin ledger sheet or aheavier account card.

Although the invention is illustrated as embodied in a record controlled'tabulator of the type disclosed in United States Patent No. 1,976,-

617, it is understood that it may be applied as well to other forms ofprinting, sheet feeding, and accounting machines. In Fig. 6 is shown awiring diagram of the controls in the printing tabulator of the patent.The perforated record cards are passed in succession under the upper andlower brushes UB, LB. There they are sensed and diiferentially timedimpulses are sent through magnets such as magnet PM which stop type barsin position to print the data on the ledger sheet. Successive cards passunder the upper brushes UB and lower brushes LB in synchronism so thatthe group numbers thereon may be compared by the group control devicesGC. These devices serve to stop listing and accumulating operation whena group change is sensed, and also serve to initiate a total printingoperation which is performed by the same print magnets PM now controlledby impulses from an emitter E, said impulses being timed by commutatorsset by the accumulating mechanism.

The tabulator may be set to print on the ledger sheet 5| under two kindsof control, listing or tabulating. When listing, the machine prints eachitem appearing on each of the record cards, and when a group changeoccurs, printing stops and the sheet may be removed with, or without, atotal impression. Under tabulating control, items are not printed butmerely accumulated, and then, when a group change occurs, a total isprinted.

In Fig. l the platen feeding roller 55 is shown with the regular linespacing ratchet wheel 212 at the left end of the roller. Cooperatingwith the ratchet wheel is a pawl 2' which is moved back and forth by alinkage in the tabulator in a well known manner. When operating forlisting, the pawl 2H operates the platen at each item entering cycle,and when operating for tabulating, the pawl moves only on total takingcycles.

For a more complete understanding of the ordinary operations of thetabulator outlined hereinbefore, reference may be made to Patent No.1,976,617.

In Fig. 1 it is seen that the right end of the platen 55 is supported onframes 56 and 51 through which extends the platen shaft 50 terminatingin the manipulative knob 59. Slanting to the rear of the platen is apaper table in upon which the ledger sheets 5| are placed between sideguides ii and 82, moved down and inserted between the feed rollers.Guide 62 is placed so that the right margin of the sheet 5| extends tothe right of the platen 55 and is directed into a curved slot 63 (Figs.3 and 4) between two blocks 64 and 65 secured to a plate 66 attached toframe 56 (Fig. 1) by studs 61. The blocks are cut with a T-slot it inwhich rides a vertically movable slide 69 which is attached to aninsulation bar HI underlying the lower blade of a pair of normallyopened contacts II. When the sheet 5| is inserted, shoulder 52 (Fig. 4)on the sheet approaches slide 69 as the sheet is fed with the previouslyprinted area passing the printing position. When the last printed lineis passed, shoulder 52 abuts under slide 69 and lifts it to closecontacts H. These contacts are connected to a braking magnet BM (Figs. 1and 5) which, when energised, operates a brake on the platen shaft.

Magnet BM is mounted on a bracket 12 attached to the side frame 51.Cooperating with the magnet is an armature I! pivoted at 14. Thearmature is connected by a link 15 to a brake lever 15 pivoted at IT. Atthe upper end of the lever is an adjustable screw block 18 fastened toone end of a flexible tape brake band I! with an inner brake lining llwrapped around a brake drum ll fastened to the platen shaft 50. Theother end of the tape is fixed to a stationary screw stud 82 in the sideframe.

The band 19 is usually loose around the drum ll so that the operator mayturn the knob 59 in a clockwise direction to feed the ledger sheet.However, as soon as the differentially cut posting shoulder 52 (Fig. 4)strikes the slide 69 and closes the contacts H, magnet BM (Fig. 5) isenergized and acts to pull armature II in a clockwise direction andlever 15 along therewith to draw the brake band 18 tightly against thedrum 8|, stopping the platen movement so that the ledger sheet 5| isheld in the correct posting position.

As lever 15 swings to the right (Fig. 5) to tighten the brake band, itpushes an insulation sheet by clipping a square piece out of the marginof the ledger sheet. This magnet PUM is supported between a pair ofbrackets 85 and I attached to plate 66. Cooperating with magnet PUM isan armature piece 81 formed as an extension of a punch operating crankll loosely pivoted on a stud IS on plate 66. The upper and of the crankcarries a stud which abuts against the end of a punch plunger ll whichis adapted to reciprocate in a square notch cut in the side of block 65.The end of the plunger is in line with a tapered die opening 82 cut inblock 64. A spring (not shown) between plunger II and block 65, tends tokeep the plunger retracted with its end out of the path of the sheet inslot 63. However, when magnet PUM is energized, crank 88 is rocked in aclockwise direction (Fig. 3) and stud SI pushes plunger ii to the leftcutting the margin of the paper against the die opening 92 so that asquare tab is removed, lowering the paper shoulder 52 one step. Anadiustable stop screw 94 limits the restoring movement of the punchcrank ll. Each step that the cut shoulder 52 is lowered is equal to thedistance the sheet is spaced in a line spacing operation.

After a printing and punching operation, the sheet is spaced inreadiness for another item recording and margin cutting operation. Thedifferentially situated shoulder 52 thus formed on the ledger sheet isof value in controlling the distance that the sheet is fed whenreinserted, as explained hereinbefore with reference to the brakingdevices.

Each line of print on the ledger sheet may be an item as controlled inlisting, or it may be a total when the machine is operated undertabulating control.

When the printing of one or more lines of related data is finished, itis necessary to eject the ledger sheet so that another sheet may beinserted for operations in another account, but before this can be donethe slide Bl normally overlying the shoulder 52 must be moved out of thepath of the shoulder. Two means are provided for shifting or retractingthe slide II, one manual and the other automatic.

The manual shifting means comprises a shift lever 95 (Figs. 1, 3 and 4)pivoted on a screw 98 in a bracket 91 fastened to plate 8. Alongside thelever is a horizontal rod ll extending from slide 09 through a bracket08 on plate 66. The rod is notched to engage the lever so that the twoare keyed together for movement. A compression spring I presses betweenslide 09 and bracket 99 and tends to hold the slide, rod and lever tothe right (Fig. 4) with the slide in sheet stopping position. However,when the operator presses against a button ill at the top of lever 95,the lever is rocked counterclockwise, rod 98 is shifted to the left, andslide 59 moves along therewith, out of the path of sheet so that it maybe fed out or automatically ejected.

The opening in bracket 99 through which rod 90 passes is large enough topermit the rocking of the rod as the slide rises to close contacts II.

A stop screw I02 on bracket 91 cooperates with a shoulder on shift lever95 to limit the extent of operation of this member.

The automatic shifting means comprises a shift magnet SM which isadapted to rock lever 95. The magnet is mounted on a bracket I03attached to an angle iron I04 secured to bracket 05. Cooperating withthe magnet SM is an armature lever I05 pivoted on a stud I05 extendingfrom the angle iron I04. Projecting from the side of armature I05 is apin I01 which is long enough to pass the side of lever 95. When shiftmagnet SM is energized, armature I05 is rocked in a counterclockwisedirection (Fig. 4)

and pin I01 thereon pushes shift lever 95 in the.

same direction to operate it just as though button .IOI had beenpressed. The result is that slide 99 is moved out of the path of theledger sheet 5I so that it may be fed or ejected.

The magnet SM is energized under control of the tabulator every time atotal print and reset cycle is initiated by the group control devices.

At the top of the wiring diagram in Fig. 6 the electrical ledger sheetfeed controls are shown connected to the tabulator wiring. The closureof a posting switch LPS connects the feed controls to one of thetabulator main lines 334. Then, when the shoulder on the sheet 5I liftsblock to close contacts II, a circuit is closed through the brakingmagnet BM. The circuit includes line 334, switch LPS, contacts I I,magnet BM and line 33L Energizedmagnet BM then moves lever I5 to tightenthe brake band 19 and at the same time it closes the start contacts 04.These contacts form part of a shunt connection including wire IIO, thecontacts 84 and a wire III connected around the regular start keycontacts ST. There results an energization of the tabulator drivingmotor TM just as though the start key had been depressed. The recordcards are fed and printing is controlled thereby.

Every time a printing operation is eifected, a print magnet PM closes apair of contacts II2 to energize the punch control magnet PUM. Themagnet PM may be the units order magnet which is energized on everyprint cycle. The punch control circuit includes line 334, switch LPS,wire I I3. contacts I I2, magnet PUM, wire I and line "I. Magnet PUMthen operates punch 9| to clip a square out of the margin of sheet 5I.

Whenever the group control devices GC sense a change in group or accountnumbers on the record cards, they operate to stop the tabulating motorTM, thus stopping card feeding, and at the same time initiate operationof the reset motor RM for a total printing and reset operation.

During the second half of the reset. cycle a total and reset cam closesa pair of contacts PM to initiate operation of the shift magnet SM sothat the marginal sensing slide 69 is moved out of the path of theledger sheet. The shift circuit includes line 330, switch LPS, contactsP5a, magnet SM and wire II5 to line "I. When the slide is moved clear ofthe sheet it may then be fed or automatically ejected.

While there is disclosed the fundamental novel features of the inventionas applied to a printing machine, it will be understood that variousomissions, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of thedevices illustrated and in their operation may be made by those skilledin the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is theintention therefore to be limited only as indicated by the scope of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In a machine for feeding record sheets, a platen carrying said sheet,a brake drum attached to said platen, a friction brake mechanismcooperating with the brake drum to stop the sheet at a differentialposition, and means under control of the sheet for operating the brakemechanism to clamp the drum and stop the platen and sheet in print.receiving position.

2. In a machine for feeding record sheets, a platen for holding andfeeding said sheet, means for placing feed control indicia on saidsheet, a brake mechanism cooperating with the platen to stop the sheetin a predetermined position, electrical means for sensing said indicia,and an electro-magnet under control of said sensing ,means for operatingthe brake mechanism.

sheet ,to operate the brake when the sheet is in a predeterminedposition.

4. In a machine for printing a ledger sheet, means for printing lines.of data on the sheet, means for line spacing the sheet between printingoperations, a punch for clipping a square portion off the margin of saidsheet to lower a marginal shoulder thereon as printing progresses, meansfor operating said punch on every printing operation, means forinserting the sheet, a brake mechanism connected to said insertingmeans, a magnet for operating said mechanism, and an electric circuitfor said magnet including contacts which are operated by said shoulderto energize the brake magnet when the sheet has been inserted far enoughso that printing operations may be continued.

5. In a machine for printing a ledger sheet, printing devices, means forline spacing said sheet as printing progresses, means for cutting out aportion of the margin of said sheet on every printing operation to forma progressively lowered shoulder on the sheet, means for re-insertingsaid sheet, means cooperating with said shoulder on the sheet forlimiting the extent of operation of said re-inserting means, and meansunder control of said printing devices for automatically shifting saidlimiting means out of the path of said shoulder so the sheet may beejected from the machine. 6. In a machine for printing a ledger sheet,printing devices, means for line spacing said sheet as printingprogresses, means for cutting out a portion of the margin of said sheeton every printing operation to form a progressively lowered shoulder onthe sheet, means for re-inserting said sheet, means cooperating withsaid shoulder on the sheet for limiting the extent oi operation of saidre-inserting means, manipulative means for shifting said limiting meansout of cooperation with said shoulder so that said sheet may be fed outor the machine, and means under control of said printing devices forautomatically operating said shifting means.

7. In a machine controlled by groups or record cards for printing linesof data on ledger sheets, means for printing an item under control ofeach card, means for line spacing the ledger sheet between printingoperations, means for punching a square section out of the margin of thesheet for each line space to form a shoulder located differentially onthe sheet according to the number of printing operations thereon, meansfor inserting said sheet, means operated by said shoulder on said sheetwhen inserting it for limiting the movement of the inserting means toplace the sheet in position to receive a printing impression directlyunder the last printing impression, means for sensing a change in groupof the record cards, and means under control of said sensing means forshifting the means operated by the shoulder out of the path of theshoulder so that said sheet may be elected.

8. In a machine for producing record sheets, means for printing on saidsheet, a platen carrying said sheet, means for operating the platen tofeed the sheet, a brake mechanism cooperating with the platen to stopthe sheet in a difierential position, means for operating the mechanismand means controlled by the mechanism to initiate operation of saidprinting means when the brake mechanism is operated to stop the sheet.

9. In a machine for feeding record sheets, a platen ior holding andfeeding said sheet, means for placing feed control indicia on saidsheet, a brake mechanism cooperating with the platen to stop the sheetin a predetermined position, means under control of the indicia on thesheet for operating the brake mechanism, means for printing on saidsheet, and means under control of said mechanism for initiatingoperation of said printing means.

10. In a record controlled tabulator for printing a ledger sheet, aplaten carrying said sheet, means for operating the platen to insert asheet, means for punching feed control indicia in said sheet as printingprogresses, a brake mechanism cooperating with the platen to stop itwhen the sheet is in a correct posting position, means under control ofsaid indicia for operating said mechanism, contacts closed by said brakemechanism when it is operated, and electrical start circuit includingsaid contacts for initiating operation of said tabulator when the sheetis stopped by the brake mechanism 11. In a machine for producing aledger sheet, means for printing lines of data on said sheet, means forline spacing said sheet as printing progresses, means for punching out aportion oi! the margin of said sheet on each printing operation to forma progressively lowered shoulder on the sheet, means for inserting thesheet, means cooperating with said shoulder for stopping said insertingmeans, and means under control of said stopping means for initiatingoperation of said printing means.

12. In a machine for producing a ledger sheet, means for printing linesof data on said sheet, means for line spacing said sheet as printingprogresses, means for punching out a portion of the margin of said sheeton each printing operation to form a progressively lowered shoulder onthe sheet, means for inserting the sheet, means cooperating with saidshoulder for stopping said inserting means, means under control of saidstopping means for initiating operation of said printing means, andmeans under control of said printing means for automatically shiftingsaid stopping means away from said shoulder so that said sheet may beejected.

13. A machine as set forth in claim 5 wherein the printing devices areadapted to print items and totals and the means for shifting thelimiting means is operated on total printing cycles by said printingdevices to shift said limiting means out of the path of the shoulder onthe sheet so that said sheet may be ejected from the machine after thetotal is printed.

EMIL HOLZAPFEL.

